Nightmare
by Meireis
Summary: She felt herself sinking deeper…deeper...deeper...deeper. [T for violence and references to war, rating may be off.]


The sound of cannons blasting, people shouting, and waves crashing into a giant, steel ship caused a chaos on a normally calm sea. It was obvious who was losing this battle; the ship of a young child soldier. A girl only at the age of 13, all dressed in uniform holding onto a railing for dear life. She was being shouted at to "get going!" and to "stop being scared!". Because she needed to be a cold, unfeeling, stone of a soldier instead of the scared little girl she was, wishing she was back home in the arms of her parents she was taking forcefully from. Tears dripped down her cheek as someone grabbed her arm and yanked her from the railing. However, this is when another wave hit the boat and caused it to rock, allowing her to break free of his grasp and run into a cabin. Not knowing what to do, she grabbed a blanket off the bed and hid behind some barrels.

Wrapping the blanket around herself, she silently sobbed and stared the floor, hoping she wouldn't be found. Why? Why was there war? Why were innocent, unready children being taken, trained, and thrown into battle? "Why" Was the only word running through her mind. She could hear cannons, yelling, gunshots, screams, and arguing outside. The screams of fellow child soldiers, the shouting of their leaders. Another wave hit and the boat rocked once again, causing the barrels to shift and move. She let out a small shriek as a barrel hit her and knocked her over, the wrapped blanket only making her trip as she tried to stand. Tears flew harder as she rubbed her eyes, finally standing.

All she wanted was to be back at home with her parents, was it too much to ask? She wanted to wake up in the morning and hear her mother call for her to eat breakfast. She wanted to run down the stairs and eat beside her father as he drank his coffee and read the newspaper. She wanted to rush to get ready and run for the bus stop. She wanted to see her friends, her teacher, her family...She never will, will she?

Still crying, she reluctantly stepped out of the cabin and back to the deck, unsure of what to do and a little curious.

It was a mess.

Blood, bodies, shouting, water flooding the desk, more loud gunshots and cannons, lightening-

She screamed, but was cut off as a wave washed over the ship's floor and sent the girl over a railing and into the rough sea below. She instinctively shut her mouth as to not inhale water, but felt the urge to scream as she thrown into a world of blue. She knew how to swim, but the water was too busy and crazed for her to even reach the surface. Even if she did, she'd just be pushed back under again. Not able to do anything else, she closed her eyes and held herself, any tears she let out joined with the water.

She felt herself sinking deeper...

Deeper...

Deeper...

Deeper...

Suddenly, in the blackness mixed with shapes and the random colors she saw with closed eyelids, she noticed what little vision she had getting lighter, as if a light was shining onto her eyes. She opened them and did see that there was indeed a light, though it was deeper into the water. She looked around and saw nothing but dark blue, fish swam around and scared her, she felt the urge to scream but held it in. She closed her eyes as she felt her chest and throat get tight, then pain. She needed to breath, but it was impossible. Even if she could swim in these waters, she wouldn't last long enough to reach the surface. Suddenly, the light was brighter than before, and she saw she was a few feet away from it. It shone like the gates of heaven- Was it heaven? No...it looked like...a tear in the water, as if someone opened it with a knife. Eyes stared at her though the gap-shaped tear, and the girl's eyes widened. Something was coming out of the gap...

...A hand?

A hand covered in a white glove with pink ribbon reached out to her, fingers spread and awaiting her to grasp it. Between that, shock, and the lack of air, the girl was at a loss at what to do. Was this some kind of dream? A cruel and awful nightmare? This couldn't possibly be real...

A wave of pain spread through her chest, and in a blind panic, she grasped the hand. She closed her eyes and felt herself being pulled through the water, then felt nothing at all, not even the hand. It was as if she was floating in space, and then everything went totally black.

* * *

"Rika!"

Quickly sitting up in her bed, she realized she was covered in sweat and shaking, breathing heavily with a face frozen in shock.

"Hey, you alright?"

Rika turned to see who was speaking to her, the room was almost too dark to see. Though her tears that caused her vision to blur made it even harder, she could see a tall girl in red and white looking at her, messy purple hair dragging the floor as she sat and stared.

"M-Meira?" Rika managed to mumble.

"Yeah, what's going on with you?"

"W-wha..."

"You were tossing around a lot, even screaming in your sleep. I'm surprised you haven't woken up the others."

Rika looked around, relieved to see familiar surroundings. An almost empty, dim room with both her and Meira's futons on the floor, with Mima and Marisa just down the hall.

"What happened? Bad dream or something?"

Rika only nodded, staring down at her trembling hands still clutching her blanket.

This dream wasn't uncommon for her, she wouldn't mind it had she not been the girl in each and every time it occurred. It scared her, that all never happened, right? Why would she imagine things like this? Why did it have to be her in those dreams?

"Rika, seriously, are you okay? Your-!"

Meira was cut off by Rika quickly hugging her, gripping her clothes tightly and sobbing quietly. She was left stunned, physical contact was never something she enjoyed. And this situation was worse considering the girl was crying and shaking to the point of being unable to speak.

"H-hey, calm down, it was just a dream, alright? There's nothing to worry about...o-or something..."

"...Sorry..." Rika muttered and sniffed. Just a dream...of course it is.

Meira sighed, feeling a bit guilty now. "No, no, don't apologize. Just try to calm down, okay?"

"Okay." Rika let go of her and managed to give a weary smile. "Right, it's all just a dream."

Is it, right?


End file.
